Orange Crates
Jackie O's Taproom & Brewery

Copenhagen 10/10 2022. 42,5 cl bottle from Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard, Kbh. V. A red crate with no oranges on the dark label.

Pours opaque, unclear murky golden yellow with small white head. stable. Settles as thin, at places almost transparent layer of foam struggling to cover the surface of the beer. No lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a sweet malty odor mingling with yeasty, funky scent and a touch of citrus fruit. Sweet malts. Humid basement. Barnyard and sour cheese. Citrus and oranges.

Light carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, a bit greasy and flat texture.

Flavor is fairly intense with a medium strong sweetness followed by slightly stronger, tart bitterness. Aftertaste is a tad watery. Tart with a touch of funk. Lingers for a bit. Finish is dry.

Fine visit to the Barnyard with the whole rural ordeal.

A-Pours a nice golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has a generous mandarin and Brett hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a well balanced mandarin and Brett flavor
M-A light bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good Belgian Blonde Ale

500ml bottle poured into a tulip
A: Hazy dark yellow, 1.5 finger head
S: Brett, tangerine, mango
T: Brett, lemongrass, lemon, herbs, white wine, floral, a hint of tropical fruit
M: Medium-bodied, fairly dry, a balanced funk
O: This is a really nice Belgian ale: complex, a touch funky but balanced. I’d love to find more & also try it with a bit more age

I may be totally wrong here, but I'm guessing this is a tribute to Orval, based on the appearance and flavor profile. That said, Orval is a classic but one of my least favorite readily-available [in the US] Belgians. Bit brett funk, heavy lemongrass and dank florals, but with some light Belgian esters lurking in the background. Interesting, but still not particularly my scene.

 

Would I buy this again? Yes. But only one bottle.

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2018 vintage. Pours slightly hazy pale golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tart lemon, lime, mandarin orange, white grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, passion fruit, papaya, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, clove, pine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of leathery/musty funk, wet wood, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, citrus/earthy hops, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart lemon, lime, mandarin orange, white grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, passion fruit, papaya, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, clove, pine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of leathery/musty funk, wet wood, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; pepper/clove yeast spiciness; and light Brett tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, mandarin orange, white grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, passion fruit, papaya, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, clove, pine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, leathery/musty funk, wet wood, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, citrus/earthy hops, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a nice malt, bitter, tart, spiciness balance. Mild lingering astringency, but not overwhelming. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spicy/tartness. Medium-plus carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp, bready/grainy, sticky/resinous/rindy, and lightly acidic/tangy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.1%. Overall this is an excellent wild Belgian blonde ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, citrus/earthy hops, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV, despite the increasingly bitter/resinous/drying finish. If this was less bitter, probably would have been even better. Awesome balance of fruity/funky Brett C, Trappist yeast, and citrus/earthy Mandarina Bavaria hops; with a solid pale/wheat malt backbone. Zero residual sweetness from crisp dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example as expected.

 

 

Bottle:
The beer started pouring clear, but bottle sediment found its way into the mix as I didn't decant. This addition muddled up a clear light golden beer into a dull light yellow body. The head was moderate on a not-too vigorous pour. The collar was replenished easily with each sip, as the surface sustained wisps of dying bubbles on the rest of the surface.

Nose was that of a barn house hay and what I would say is wet horse blanket nose. It was that classic musty/dusty/dry wood wit an ever so lightly funky note. A waft of citrus snuck in - sort of lemony, sort of tangerine, it wasn't clear enough to pinpoint.

The beer was dry from the get go, with a hay-covered trampled earth greets me. The tangerine note came next, bringing a little juiciness with it that whetted the whistle. It shared the stage of my palate with hay and a bit of mustiness. The beer transitioned further as I started to get orange pith, and then some grass as a bitter dryness took over. The end game included a little peppery/minty aspect that lingered a little while.

The Brett didn't dominate this beer as I expected, but sort of played a huge supporting role, one that helped to accentuate and improve the more obvious notes. The bitter hop presence played quite nicely into the farmhouse aspects, with a little nod to the modern dry-hopping craze and the juicy beers it can produce. A decent mix of a classic profile with a little bit of a somewhat modern twist.

 

 

 

 

L: Poured from a bottle to a snifter glass. Had a yellowish-orange color and a cloudy texture. There was an inch of creamy, very long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: A very nice aroma of citrus fruit, Belgian yeast, hops, spices, barnyard funk.

T: Tasted of a moderate amount of hops (not too noticeable), lots of brettamomyces (this accounts for the barnyard quality), a good shot of oranges, and some spices (pepper). An interesting flavor that has some qualities of a saison and a BPA. Very sweet (for the style), but not cloyingly so. Quite tasty.

F: A well-carbonated beer with a dry, smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: On the whole this is a solid beer. It's slightly unusual, but it still manages to be drinkable.

This has a hazy lemon juice look. Pale yet neon gold-yellow with a soft, thin fuzzy head fading to a thin film and moderate collar leaving short stalagmites around the rim.

Smell is orange, hay, horse blanket, black pepper, lime, sticky peach and white bread.

Flavors of significant horse blanket, hay and cheesy funk are paired with sharp grapefruit, lemon rind and a lightly tart lime zip.

Nicely prickly, an expanding froth fills the medium to light body before a papery, semi-dry finish.